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Chevrolet announced the new 2014 Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel delivers an EPA-estimated 46 MPG on the highway.

Chevrolet said this is better than any non-hybrid passenger car in America.

The diesel version of the Cruze sedan will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide and in Canada in early fall.

Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertrain family has an estimated range of 700 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel, based on the EPA highway estimate and the vehicle’s fuel tank capacity.

That represents about 10 hours of highway driving.

“We harnessed generations of diesel expertise to adapt our world-class global engine for the North American market,” said Gary Altman, chief engineer, Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. “The Cruze Diesel is the best diesel passenger car out there. Chevrolet is redefining the meaning of great fuel economy with this car.”

With a starting price of $25,695, including an $810 destination charge, the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel has been priced and packaged, according to Chevrolet, to be a better value than a similarly equipped VW Jetta TDI automatic.

Chevrolet also said the Cruze Diesel also beats its rivals in performance with a segment-leading estimated 148 horsepower (110 kilowatt) and an estimated 258 pound-feet of torque. This will allow the diesel-powered Cruze to do the 0-60 in about 8.6 seconds.

The Cruze’s 2.0-liter turbo-diesel engine has an overboost feature capable of increasing torque to an estimated 280 pound-feet for short bursts of stronger acceleration when needed, such as entering freeway traffic.

The Cruze Diesel is powered by the cleanest diesel passenger car engine produced by General Motors. The vehicle generates 90 percent less Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions when compared to previous-generation diesels.

Chevrolet has sold more than 2 million Cruze models globally since it was launched in mid-2010; more than 33,000 of those were diesel powered.